A medical office receives many calls during the course of a single day. Each deserves the medical assistant’s complete and competent attention, no matter how busy the office. The following section can assist the medical assistant with managing and following up on common incoming calls. Show Screening Incoming CallsMost physicians expect the medical assistant to screen all telephone calls. The physician and office manager provide guidance on the type of calls to be routed to the physician and those that he or she will return at a later time. The medical assistant should become familiar with their preferences and also use good judgment, much of which comes with experience, in deciding whether to put through a call to the physician. If it is office policy, put calls from other physicians through at once. If the physician is busy and cannot possibly come to the telephone, explain this briefly and politely, then say that the physician will return the call as soon as possible. Many callers ask, “Is the doctor in?” or “May I speak to the doctor?” Avoid answering with a simple “Yes” or “No” or by responding with the question, “Who is calling, please?” If the physician is not in, say so before asking the identity of the caller. Otherwise, the impression may be created that the physician is just not willing to talk with this person. If the physician is away from the office, the rule of offering assistance still holds. The medical assistant may say, “No, I am sorry, Dr. Frank is not in. May I take a message?” or “No, I am sorry, but Dr. Frank will be at the hospital most of the morning. May I ask her to return your call after 1 o’clock?” If the physician is in and is available for telephone calls, a typical response would be, “Yes, Dr. Frank is in; may I say who is calling, please?” When physicians prefer to keep telephone calls to a minimum, say, “Yes, Dr. Frank is in the office, but she is not free to come to the phone. May I take a message, please?” By responding in this way, the physician is not committed to taking the call. During the time a physician is examining a patient, he or she will not wish to be interrupted with a routine call. In such cases you might say, “Yes, Dr. Frank is in, but she is with a patient right now. May I help you?” or “Yes, Dr. Frank is in, but she is with a patient right now. Is there anything you would like me to ask her?” Try to guard against being overprotective. A patient should be able to talk with the physician when absolutely necessary, but unless it is an emergency, the patient probably is willing to do so at the physician’s convenience. The medical assistant who answers the telephone acts as a screen, not a roadblock. Although no one wants to sit next to a telephone waiting on a physician to call, this is the reality in most cases. In fact, physicians almost always rely on their staff to give them messages from patients and then follow up on the instructions the physician gives for each patient. Staff members should provide an approximate time frame within which the patient’s call will be returned, but they must always stress that the time is an estimate. Emergencies cannot be predicted, and it may be impossible to abide by that time frame. Always ask for the patient’s cell phone number, if available, then ask him or her to keep the phone handy for the rest of the day. Make every effort to return calls by noon for morning messages and by the time the office closes for afternoon messages. By cross-training all employees to take accurate messages and document calls, any employee can return calls, even if he or she did not take the original message. Find out exactly how calls are to be handled when the physician is out of the office and under what circumstances he or she can be interrupted when on the premises. Cultivate a reputation for being helpful and reliable. A medical assistant can save the physician many interruptions if patients develop confidence in the medical assistant’s ability to help them and have faith in his or her promises to take messages and deliver them properly. (For more tips on handling telephone calls, visit the Evolve site at evolve.elsevier.com/kinn.) 9-4 Critical Thinking Application Ashlynn answers the phone; the caller is a male pharmaceutical representative who has been visiting the clinic for several months. She cheerfully greets him and asks if he is calling to make an appointment. He states that he wants to make an appointment with Ashlynn—for a date. How should she handle this call? What problems could arise if this were a patient and Ashlynn were to accept the date?
When you and a co-worker are having a discussion, there is more to the conversation than what is being said. While most people are aware of body language, tone in communication, especially tone of voice, is an important supplement to body language and facial cues. If you are having a rough start to your morning, others pick up on it. If you are feeling on top of the world after that first cup of coffee, same answer. The reason for sending these social cues is that our brains combine the verbal clues we hear and non-verbal cues that we see to make sense of our conversations. This total picture helps us to dig deeper into what others are saying, even if they are trying to hide some aspects. Consider these two examples: Scenario 1: You ask your co-worker how their weekend was, and they abruptly say “fine”. Now based on their tone of voice, you know that they are most definitely not fine, and you can tell by their face that they’ve been crying. You can take these cues to ask more questions and offer comfort. Scenario 2: You ask your coworker over the phone how their weekend was, and the pitch of their voice goes up, the speed of their speech slows, and the words seem to drop off when they finish speaking like they have less energy and force behind them. You did not have to see them crying. You heard it in their tone. Importance of Tone of VoiceOn the phone, where face-to-face interaction is impossible, (we mean traditional phones that you communicate with clients on, not FaceTime and similar apps) tone of voice takes on a significant importance. In fact, listeners glean emotion better from voice-only communications, according to Yale. A defined tone of voice is essential in establishing clear communication between both parties. Here are two reasons why: 1. Your tone of voice projects what message you want the other person to hear when you speak to them. A wide spectrum of messages can be conveyed through your tone in communication. Compassion and empathy are two important signals to a caller who is distressed, worried, or impatient. 2. Your tone of voice projects your company’s brand. How you come across over the phone when communicating with a customer in the first 7 to 10 seconds establishes the impression that the caller will take away about your company. You can come across as genuine and positive on a call by: · Breathing into your stomach and not from your chest · Smiling when you speak · Speaking around 120 to 150 words per minute. Any slower of faster than this means you are likely not listening or do not come across as a good listener. · Don’t take notes based on everything that is said. Writing every little detail means that you are not actively listening. We train our CSRs to take the “meat of the message”, meaning what is most important to accurately relay the message or input it into our client’s customer relationship management software or field service software.  Setting the ToneSetting the stage for a positive call starts with a warm, comforting tone. This puts your customer at ease and increases the likelihood of the agent capturing an accurate and complete message. This is vital in industries where compassion and accuracy are essential, such as funeral homes or doctor’s office. Tone of voice is comprised of 3 factors:
A telephone agent who is conscious of all four elements will have an easier time gaining call control and creating a professional engagement. The attitude conveyed by tone of voice will determine the outcome of the call, i.e., a frustrated customer or a happy, satisfied one. Confidence is KeyA caller has only a person’s tone of voice and helpful attitude on which to base their opinion over the phone. A tone that displays confidence will have an advantage over a weak tone. Furthermore, a confident tone commands attention, gets interrupted less often, and is more likely to be considered a leader. At Dexcomm, we like to call this controlling the call. Rather than talking over the caller or allowing the conversation to ramble aimlessly, the agent is trained to capture the essential information of the call and get that information to the correct party. This is important when you are relying on a call answering service to extend the professionalism of the business that you have worked hard to build. This foundational training and confidence are nurtured through coaching with a supervisor or trusted peer. When you hear how you sound on a call and then walk through what you could have changed, you will create self-awareness and begin to see improvements in your call taking and the speed, pitch, and quality of the tone in your communications. Did you know that how you dress can also impact the confidence you exude on a call? The term “Enclothed Cognition” was coined by Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky to describe just such an impact. This could be why uniforms and wearing more professional attire in a call center or answering service lead to better call quality. We still know how to have fun, though! Casual Fridays to support our local teams, Carencro High School, University of Louisiana, Louisiana State University, or the New Orleans Saints, to name a few. Compassion and Empathy Over the PhoneBecause your company’s reputation is on the line, deciding who answers your calls is an important decision for your business.If your business is considering hiring an after-hours telephone answering service, or already works with a call center, you want to make sure the phone agents answering your calls are highly skilled and have received voice training. A good place to start is their core values. Do they align with your company’s? Do they include compassion or empathy? Commmunicating with compassion is critical for your business. A tone of compassion and empathy in communication means that you are engaged and builds trust. When you treat your callers and clients as partners, rather than an accounting entry, they will want to establish long term relationships with you. Relationships will outperform price every time.
Who wouldn’t want happier customers and more revenue? After all, the entire outcome of the call rests on the demeanor and tone of your phone agent. And the next call your business receives could be its most important one. Editor's Note: This post was originally published in April 2017, but has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness by Marina Prestenbach. Dexcomm is a Louisiana-based corporation that provides answering services to businesses and service agencies across the United States. We have been open since 1954, employ a staff of roughly 80 people, and our average client retention rate is 10+ years. What tone of voice should a person who calls a medical office hear?Tone – The medical office administrative assistant should always speak with a positive and respectful tone. Enunciation – The medical office administrative assistant should speak clearly and precisely. Loudness – A voice that is too loud or hard to hear can make a negative impression on the patient.
How can the medical assistant reduce patients frustration with telephone issues?Always use a friendly, warm tone of voice and project confidence when speaking with patients. Be courteous and tactful and choose your words carefully. Every caller should be made to feel that the medical assistant has time to attend to his or her needs.
Which of the following types of telephone calls can a medical assistant resolve?CHAPTER 14. |
What 3 voice components are there to consider when using good telephone techniques and cultivating a cheerful and calm voice?
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